'Stranger Things': 5 things to remember before you watch Season 2

It’s been over a year since we’ve had to wait on the new adventures of our favorite residents of Hawkins, Indiana. With Stranger Things season 2 soon to arrive, or as the Duffer Bros. prefer, Stranger Things 2, the long wait is finally over. If you don’t have the time to rewatch all of season 1, we’ve got your back. Here are 5 things to remember before you patiently watch and enjoy binge-watch at the expense of sleep and responsibility to your loved ones. Spoilers ahead, obviously!

1. Will was saved from the Upside Down

After spending almost an entire season huddling in whatever the Upside Down is, Will Byers was rescued by his mother Joyce and Sheriff Jim Hopper. That being said, Will isn’t out of the woods quite yet. One of the last shots of the season featured him coughing up something pretty disgusting.

2. Eleven sacrificed herself to defeat the Demogorgon

Listen, we all know she’s coming back to the show after trailers for season 2 dropped (not that we were particularly worried). But, the last time Mike Wheeler and company saw Eleven was as she bravely sacrificed herself to take down the Demogorgon. As far as they know, she’s gone.

We were never really all that worried as to whether Eleven would return in the second season of ‘Stranger Things,’ but it was nice to see her in Netflix’s trailer for the upcoming episodes. (Photo: Netflix/Everett Collection)

3. Kissing happened! And it also didn’t happen!

Before Eleven stepped in to save the day, she was kissed by Mike. If only it could have stayed that nice forever. Not all romance was requited, though. After building tension, Nancy Wheeler and Jonathan Byers stayed friends and Nancy remained in a relationship with Steve Harrington. Steve, of course, turned out to be a better person than initial impressions might have indicated.

4. Hopper made a deal

In an effort to rescue Will, Sheriff Hopper made a deal with Hawkins National Laboratory and its shady leader, Dr. Martin Brenner. A late scene in season 1 showed Hopper getting in the back of a mysterious car, so clearly something is still up. Also, we learned that Hopper lost his young daughter to cancer before the events of the season took place.

5. As for the rest of the characters…

You might have noticed that we haven’t mentioned Barb Holland yet. Well, Barb was definitely killed in season 1. While poor Barb has left us, the same can’t necessarily be said for Dr. Brenner. We saw him get attacked by the Demogorgon, but didn’t see him die. And, Lucas Sinclair and Dustin Henderson managed to make it through the season fairly unscathed.

Stranger Things Season 2 premieres Friday, October 27 on Netflix.

The hilarious interview we had with the men of Stranger Things at San Diego Comic-Con: